UW-La Crosse Men, UW-Oshkosh Women Remain Atop DIII Rankings

NEW ORLEANS – The UW-La Crosse men and UW-Oshkosh women remain atop the Division III U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Team Computer Rankings released Wednesday, the final edition prior to the bulk of the nation’s conference championship action this weekend.

UW-La Crosse, atop the rankings for the second consecutive week, gained 18.34 net points for a team total of 202.78, boosted largely by its distance medley relay team (Heinz, Tehan, Stilin and Bottcher) posting Division III’s fastest time this season at 9:56.64. The Eagles are seeking their first national championship since 2009.

Finishing in a tie for the national championship with UW-La Crosse in 2009? That would be UW-Oshkosh, currently on the Eagles’ heels in second with 176.43 team points after a net gain of 5.33.

UW-Whitewater (129.32) checked in at No. 3, while three-time defending indoor champion North Central holds steady at No. 4 (106.05). Haverford (104.58) rounded out the top five of the men’s rankings.

The UW-Oshkosh women are on top for the second consecutive weekend and for the third time in four weeks. The Titans slipped 14.97 net points for a total of 162.12.

Defending champion Wartburg inched closer to regaining the top spot it has held three times this season by virtue of losing fewer net points than UW-Oshkosh, dropping 12.12 to 149.17.

A trio of newcomers to this week’s top five each made significant gains in the rankings to vault near the top of the chart. No. 3 Illinois College’s eight spot jump – up 20.73 net points to 78.12 – was powered by Megan Stringer posting the nation’s top pentathlon score at 3,435.

No. 4 St. Thomas (Minn.) made an even more impressive jump behind the nation’s top 4×400 (Tipp, Tip, Van Heel, Goeman at 3:51.71) and No. 2 DMR (Statz, van Heel, Goeman, Berg at 11:48.05) teams, up 19 spots and 42.04 net points for a team total of 72.90.

No. 5 Williams (72.10) makes a return to the top five following a five-position jump. Williams had previously been ranked as high as No. 3 in the preseason and week one prior to last week’s slip to No. 10.

The National Computer Team Rankings project how a team will finish in a National Championship Meet setting, rather than a triangular or dual.

The next round of computer rankings will be released February 20. The 2013 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships will be held March 8-9 in Naperville, Ill.